1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Hi, and welcome back to Carol Markuchow on iHeartRadio. My 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: guest today is Joel Barry. Joel is managing editor of 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: The Babylon Bee, an author, and the father of six. Hi. Joel, 4 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: so nice to have you on. 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 2: Thank you for having me. I'm excited. Six kids. 6 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: Six kids is a lot. 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what everyone says, you know, and this is 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 2: nothing I envisioned for myself. I never, you know, anticipated 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 2: being a father of six, but it just kind of happened. 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 2: I married a great woman, the kids kept coming. It 11 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: turns out having kids is really fun. It's like having 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: a bunch of cartoon characters in your house and once 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 2: you kind of just embrace the chaos and the mess 14 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 2: in the joy, it's it's pretty great. 15 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: So it's funny because I lived in New York and 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: I have three kids, and that was a lot for 17 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: New York. It was like, wow, three kids, that's so many. 18 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: You leave New York and it's like not even not 19 00:00:58,120 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: even that interesting to have. 20 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: To me, I thought I had a lot. But then 21 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 2: my kids went to a charter school that had a 22 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 2: lot of Catholic families, and I realized that I was 23 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 2: kind of a rookie, like, you know, not eight nine 24 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 2: or ten is baseline for like a Midwestern Catholic family. 25 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: How did you get into humor writing? Did you just 26 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: one day realize I'm funny. I like to write, let's 27 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: do this. 28 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 2: It was kind of by accident, or if you would rather, 29 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 2: by the grace of God. You could also say I 30 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: didn't intend to do this. This isn't something I really 31 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 2: knew I was good at. I was kind of a 32 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: mediocre corporate sales guy in the Midwest area, and it 33 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 2: took me a long time to kind of figure out 34 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: that that wasn't my calling until I was pushed out 35 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: of a job and kind of had to figure my 36 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: life out. My wife has always kind of known me 37 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: better than I know myself, and she encouraged me to 38 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 2: you know, I was always writing, putting my thoughts out there. 39 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: When I was in the military overseas, I used to 40 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: make these little satirical comics about our chain of command, 41 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: and I would make fun of our platoon sergeant or 42 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: our company commander. 43 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: And does the military like that? Is that? 44 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: I did get in trouble a couple of times. Yeah, 45 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,399 Speaker 2: I think I ended up doing some push ups on occasion, 46 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 2: but that was, you know, nothing, nothing I thought I 47 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 2: could ever make a career out of or make money 48 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 2: off of, you know. And so when I was I 49 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 2: don't know, all about six years ago, I was pushed 50 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: out of a job. My wife encouraged me to start 51 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 2: kind of putting my thoughts out there writing. I started 52 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: a podcast, and I started a blog. I started my 53 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 2: own little satire website called The Petty Prophet. That kind 54 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 2: of snowballed over the course of a year of me 55 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 2: just kind of trying out new things. I started pitching 56 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 2: headlines to the Bee, and within a year I was 57 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: I was working for them, and so it was really 58 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 2: just I'm very thankful to God that he led me 59 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: to a place where I'm finally doing something that I'm 60 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: good at, which is a very you know, writing short, 61 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 2: pithy Babylon Bee headlines is a very rare talent. It's 62 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 2: hard to find people who can do it. 63 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: So it's interesting because so that means you've only been 64 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: at the Bee for like five years, right maybe sick. 65 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I started there in like twenty eighteen, and at 66 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen, so yeah, about six years. 67 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, it just feels like I've read you for 68 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: so much longer. 69 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: Well, the b B feels like it's been around forever, 70 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: but we actually started in twenty sixteen, so we're not 71 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 2: even ten years old yet. When we first started, it 72 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 2: was mostly like evangelical church humor, you know, kind of 73 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 2: inside humor. And yeah, then of course Trump was elected 74 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 2: in November of twenty sixteen, and suddenly we had all 75 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: this material just laying out on the field for us 76 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: that a lot of comedians weren't touching, and we just 77 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: had a ball with it. 78 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: I love that. So in researching you for this interview, 79 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: the minimal research I do for these interviews, I saw 80 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: that you wrote you've written three Babylon B Guides, The 81 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: Babylon B Guide to Wokeness, The Babylon B Guide to Democracy, 82 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: The Babylon B Guide to Gender. And then you also 83 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: wrote a book called The Postmattern Pilgrim's Progress and allegorical tale. 84 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: Is that one also humor. 85 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: It is it's a it's a it has humor in it. 86 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 2: But the feedback that I've got from a lot of 87 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 2: people who have read it is, Wow, this is a 88 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: lot heavier than I thought it would be. It has 89 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 2: a lot of making. 90 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: It seems like not quite funny, Aprol Yeah, well, it's 91 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: I wrote it with my editor in chief, Kyle Man. 92 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: We both grew up reading The Pilgrim's Progress. It's a 93 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: very very important, you know book and the kind of 94 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 2: the Protestant Reform tradition. Many argue it was the first 95 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 2: novel ever written in the English language. For many for 96 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: a few centuries after that, Christian families would have a 97 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: copy of the Bible and they would have a copy 98 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 2: of Pilgrim's Progress. And so it's it's something that I 99 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: kind of grew up on, always loving the book, you know, 100 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 2: And for those who aren't familiar, it's it's kind of 101 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 2: a it's an allegorical tale of the of what it's 102 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 2: like walking the Christian life, and it's it follows this 103 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 2: guy named Pilgrim. The names are very like on the nose, 104 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 2: and on this journey to the celestial city, which is Heaven, 105 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: he fights Apollyon, who's a devil. You know, it's very 106 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 2: on the nose all the way. But it's very funny. 107 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 2: There's there's a satirical uh you know, there's some kind 108 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: of winks and nods all throughout it. You know that 109 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 2: we always kind of thought were funny. So, you know, 110 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 2: Christian will be going along his journey and he'll come 111 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: upon a guy whose name is Fool, and Fool will 112 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 2: give him advice, and the reader's thinking, why are you 113 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 2: listening to a guy whose name is literally fool, you know. 114 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 2: And so we we love the book and we kind 115 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 2: of wanted to write an updated, modernized version of it, 116 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: and so we kind of write our own wrote our 117 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 2: own little sci fi, uh you know, postmodern version of 118 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: it with multi verses and and some classic B humor. 119 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 2: But it's really it's really kind of a meditation on 120 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: grief and you know, dealing with evil and tragedy in 121 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 2: the world that sometimes doesn't make sense. How can God, 122 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 2: you know, being all powerful allow evil to happen? You know, 123 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: those classic questions that we all deal with. A lot 124 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 2: of people who are used to be humor have read 125 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 2: that and were kind of taken aback by some of 126 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 2: the seriousness in the book. Yep. 127 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was wondering about that if the typical B 128 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: reader was like, oh, this is going to be hilarious. 129 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 2: Yep. 130 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: So which of the Bee guides was the fun most 131 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 1: fun to write? 132 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 2: Well, the one that did the best was our first one, 133 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 2: and that was The Babylon Bee Guide to Wokeness, and 134 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 2: we kind of wrote it at the height of this 135 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 2: conversation around wokeness and that was fun. That was a 136 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: free for all because there was so much material. You know, 137 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: Wokeness was just kind of a punchline in and of itself. 138 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 2: You could kind of present wokeness without changing it or 139 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 2: embellishing it that much, and it was just funny by itself. 140 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 2: And we almost the classic line the jokes write themselves. 141 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 2: But that was the experience writing the Guide to Wokeness. 142 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 2: The most fun one that we had was our most 143 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 2: recent one. I don't know if you mentioned that one. 144 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 2: We just came out. It's The babylon Be Guide to 145 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 2: the Apocalypse. Oh okay, and we just it's the stupidest 146 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 2: thing we've ever written, absolutely useless. But it was so 147 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 2: fun to write. And it was so fun to write 148 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 2: separate from politics, you know, not writing about something heavy, 149 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: just kind of just being silly, writing a lot of 150 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 2: funny jokes and drawing a lot of silly pictures. It's 151 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 2: nice when you can do that. You know, we're so 152 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 2: steeped in politics to be you know, I have to 153 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 2: I have to you know, troll through you know, dredge 154 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: through that, just all kinds of ugly things on Twitter 155 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 2: all the time to get material for my jokes. And 156 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 2: it's nice to kind of take a breather from that. Ever, 157 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 2: for once in a while, absolutely you. 158 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: Were saying that, you know, the jokes right themselves with wokeness? 159 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: Is that how not the Bee started? 160 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: So not the Bee. What we found was happening as 161 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 2: we were writing jokes for the Bee was that a 162 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 2: lot of our jokes were coming true. So we actually 163 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 2: have a bank. We have a little spreadsheet we keep 164 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: track of now where we call them fulfilled prophecies, and 165 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 2: when one of our headlines actually comes true, we'll record it. 166 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 2: I think we have like one hundred and fifty fulfilled 167 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: prophecies now. And there would sometimes be instances where I'm 168 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: kicking around an idea with the writers and we kind 169 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: of you know the process of writing in our little 170 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 2: writer's group, we have a common Slack channel. You know, 171 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 2: someone will have a basic basic idea and we'll riff 172 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: on it for a while. We'll kind of come up 173 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: with alternate phrasings and punchlines to kind of fine tune it. 174 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 2: Until it's perfect, and sometimes we'll be doing that, and 175 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 2: just when we kind of arrive at the perfect form 176 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: of the joke, Okay, this is what we're going to publish, 177 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: a news notification will pop up on our phones that 178 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 2: that thing that we were riffing on just happened, and 179 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 2: now we have to change the joke or we got 180 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 2: to throw it out all together. And so we started 181 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 2: this thing Not the Bee to Okay, we got to 182 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 2: account for the real stuff that is so ridiculous it 183 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: sounds like satire. So Not the Bee is kind of 184 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 2: a silly, kind of clickbaity real news site full of 185 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 2: you know, very serious journalists that will add meme faces 186 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 2: and gifts to the news stories to make them a 187 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 2: little more fun to read. 188 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: What would you be doing if not? What would be 189 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: a plan be? 190 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 2: I don't know. If I'm not doing this, I'm in trouble. 191 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: I don't know how this skill translates in a useful 192 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: way to anything else in the world. You know, I am. 193 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 2: I am passionate about politics and the culture and our country, 194 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 2: and so I you know, I can see myself getting 195 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 2: into a job if I were to do something else 196 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 2: where I'm doing more serious journalistic work or cultural commentary. 197 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 2: I you know, people who follow me on Twitter will 198 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: often see how serious my Twitter feed is. It's not 199 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 2: full of humor, and that's how I that's how I relax. 200 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 2: I'm funny for a living from eight to five. I'm funny, 201 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 2: and so I have to be serious in my off 202 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 2: time to kind of like take the edge off. So so, 203 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 2: I don't know, you know, it's I love being in 204 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 2: this world. I'm passionate about preserving this American Republic, preserving 205 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 2: American freedom, and really any way that I could go 206 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 2: about doing that, I'd be happy to do it. 207 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: We really do have a good thing going and sharing. 208 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: It's kind of important. Yeah, what are you most proud 209 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: of in your life? 210 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 2: That's a hard question because I don't even like using 211 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 2: the word proud because everything good in my life is 212 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 2: like it's a total gift of God's grace. I mean, 213 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 2: I think the thing that I'd be most proud of, 214 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 2: or I guess maybe I would phrase it most thankful for, 215 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 2: is that I've just I've managed to build a somewhat 216 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 2: normal life. You know, it's a crazy world. I look 217 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 2: at the the generation that's coming up, and how hard 218 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 2: it is to get started. Kids aren't getting married anymore, 219 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 2: kids aren't buying homes, kids aren't people aren't having kids. 220 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 2: You know, I just look at what I have. I 221 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: have a beautiful wife who loves me. I have six children, 222 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 2: I have a roof over my head, and and all 223 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 2: that kind of standard stuff that seemed like, you know, 224 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 2: middle class. You know, mediocrity is just such a treasure, 225 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 2: you know, And I just thank God that I that 226 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 2: that He's given me all this, you know. And also 227 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 2: just the fact that I'm doing something that I love 228 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 2: and that I'm I'm good at. That's also a rare gift. 229 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 2: Not many people ever ever find themselves in a situation 230 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 2: like that, you know. And if this all crashes and 231 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 2: burns tomorrow, the be goes down, my career goes down. 232 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 2: I can always hang my hat on the fact that 233 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 2: I wrote the joke that made Elon Musk by Twitter, 234 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 2: So you know, I made my marketing. Yeah, I've done 235 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: I've done my duty, and I can fade off into 236 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 2: the into the woodwork. 237 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: You've changed the course of history. That's really that's. 238 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 2: Eating with a little help from Elon and all his money. 239 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: So how do you tell your kids the importance of 240 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: that that good life that it seems so hard for 241 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: their generation to get to that, this next generation behind us, 242 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: or two generations in my case, what do you say 243 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: to your kids and say to kind of lead them 244 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: to that same good path. 245 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 2: I think, first of all modeling it, you know, to 246 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 2: provide a good example for them, and how I love 247 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 2: my wife and how I lead my kids, hopefully modeling 248 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 2: it in a way that makes them desire it, and 249 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 2: also just encouraging them that it is a truly extraordinary thing. 250 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 2: I think at G. K. Chesterton, one of my favorite writers, 251 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 2: lived about one hundred years ago, said something like the 252 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 2: most extraordinary thing in the world as an ordinary man, 253 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 2: his ordinary wife and his ordinary children. And so I 254 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 2: think I grew up in that time in the eighties 255 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 2: and nineties, when you know that was kind of seen 256 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 2: as like second best. You know, that's something that you 257 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 2: settle for. But you need to dream big, you need 258 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 2: to go and you need to do these great things. 259 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:32,599 Speaker 2: You need to go live in the big city. And 260 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 2: I think I think our culture is changing a bit 261 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 2: to where having left that behind, people are yearning for 262 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 2: it again. And so I hope my kids are growing 263 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 2: up in that time when not only I will be 264 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 2: encouraging them to grow up and have good, solid families, 265 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 2: but their culture will be encouraging them to do that 266 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: as well. I hope. Anyway, right, you. 267 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: Can sense that yearning. It's all around. It's the how 268 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,680 Speaker 1: to get these people there, how to get these young 269 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: people onto that good, sane path when there's so many 270 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: voices around them saying don't do that. That's lame and 271 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: boring and stupid. And yeah, it's tough. It's something that 272 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: a lot of my guests talk about, like how to 273 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: get their kids to appreciate, you know, getting married, having 274 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: children and not having like the flashy career on Instagram 275 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: with the yachts and the you know whatever. 276 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 2: It's tough. Yeah, yeah, it is. Well, you know, another 277 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 2: thing that puts it into perspective. I you know, my 278 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 2: my mother passed away about a month ago. I'm sorry 279 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 2: and now thank you, And you know, she she had 280 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 2: cancer and so I'm thankful that we were able to 281 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 2: kind of have some time with her and say goodbye 282 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 2: to her. But one thing that she kept telling me 283 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 2: over and over again, she was always so proud of 284 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 2: me and what I've accomplished, and you know, you know, 285 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 2: follows me online and everything, but you know, she would 286 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: always tell me in those last weeks, Joel, your kid 287 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 2: are infinitely more important than all that silly political stuff 288 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 2: that you're doing and all those political fights that you're 289 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 2: having and that you're trying to get clout online. The 290 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: kids are more important. Never forget that, you know. And 291 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 2: it's it's you know, that means a lot, not just 292 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 2: coming from my mother, but coming from someone who's at 293 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 2: the end of their life and is suddenly you know, 294 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 2: having that being flooded with that perspective of of what's 295 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 2: truly important. You know, my hope is that I I 296 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 2: raised my kids well and that they turn out okay. 297 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 2: And uh, you know, it's turned me into a praying man, 298 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 2: a much more devoutly praying man. You know, I realize 299 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 2: as a parent how how powerless you are. You can 300 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 2: do everything that you can, but your kids are still 301 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 2: going to kind of do what they're going to do, 302 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 2: and and sometimes all you can do is pray for them. 303 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 2: And I found myself praying for them an awful lot. 304 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely same. It has made me far more religious 305 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: about yeah, we're going to take a quick break and 306 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: be right back on the Carol Markowitz Show. Give us 307 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: a five year out prediction, and it could be about anything, 308 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: the country, the world, music, anything. 309 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 2: Well. I think in the next five years we will 310 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 2: probably have a couple more elections that are going to 311 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 2: be the most important election in the history of the country, existential, 312 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 2: We're going to die if they go the wrong way. 313 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 2: That'll will probably have a couple of those, like three 314 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 2: or four. Yeah, you know, I think it's it is 315 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: exciting at least, you know, politically, it's it's exciting to 316 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 2: see that I think the the stranglehold that the far 317 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 2: left has had on the culture has been somewhat broken, 318 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 2: and if the right can keep its head and not 319 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: go completely insane, we can have Yeah, that's a big 320 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 2: if right now, because there's there's a lot of fighting 321 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 2: over who the right is going to be and what 322 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 2: the vision's going to be, and that's an important fight 323 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 2: to have. But if we can keep our heads, I 324 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 2: think we could be headed towards a new golden age 325 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 2: in America. So that's that's something to be hopeful for. Truly, 326 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 2: the thing that I'm very interested in right now is 327 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 2: the impact that we're going to have from AI I 328 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 2: love movies, I love music. I'm really excited to see 329 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 2: what it's going to do in the creative space. I mean, 330 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 2: AI is a is a multiplier. It multiplies, I mean 331 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 2: it's it multiplies human capacity for evil and human capacity 332 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 2: for good. So it's probably going to be more bad 333 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: than good. But I think that we're I think we're probably. 334 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: You're going in an optimistic direction for a second there, 335 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: and then you're like, probably more bad than good. 336 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 2: I think at the very least, we'll finally get some 337 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 2: good movies. I think the now that AI has kind 338 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 2: of brought down that barrier to entry to put amazing 339 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: things on screen. As as the technology progresses, I think 340 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 2: we're we're probably going to see a little bit of 341 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 2: a renaissance in creativity in our storytelling and filmmaking. I mean, 342 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 2: we're going to get a lot of slop in the 343 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 2: mix as well, but maybe maybe one or two good 344 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 2: movies from Yeah. 345 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: Get very mixed commentary about AI on here. Some people 346 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: are very scared and think doom is headed our way. 347 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: Other people obviously are optimistic on it. I guess I'm 348 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: somewhere in between. I could see where the bad things are. 349 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: We're not considering them. But there's a lot of possibility 350 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: for good. Good movies would be a big plus. I 351 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: think most movies are pretty terrible. 352 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, well I think that. I mean the bad 353 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 2: thing is, I mean we're going to have I mean, 354 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 2: porn is already a terrible problem, and it's going to 355 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 2: become even worse with AI. It's going to be hard 356 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 2: to know what to believe because video will become so convincing. 357 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 2: You know, what are our political battles going to look 358 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 2: like when the RNC and the DNC can share endless 359 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 2: fake videos of different candidates doing things. So it's one 360 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 2: thing that I think is we haven't seen this level 361 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 2: of an explosion of information since like the printing press, 362 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 2: and that created so much reformation and cultural upheaval, but ultimately, 363 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 2: over time it turned out to be a good thing. 364 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 2: So I think human beings adjust, you know, I think 365 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 2: we'll adjust to it and figure out how to live 366 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 2: in the new world, and hopefully it'll be more good 367 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 2: than PAD. 368 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: All right, I'm gonna try to be as optimistic as you. 369 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 2: We'll revisit in five years. 370 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: After the robots control us all if we're still alive 371 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: they haven't killed us. 372 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 2: We'll be in a bunker somewhere. Yeah. 373 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: Well, I love this conversation, Jauel. I love getting to 374 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: know you a little bit and us here with your 375 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: best tip for my listeners on how they can improve 376 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 1: their lives. 377 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 2: My best tip is something that I was taught in 378 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 2: the military. I was kind of a bit of a 379 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 2: lazy slouch in school in high school. I joined the 380 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 2: Marine Corps because I kind of knew that about myself 381 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 2: and I knew I needed to change. The thing that 382 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 2: I got that I took away from the military was 383 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 2: the ability to do things that you don't feel like doing. 384 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 2: And that seems very simple. But if you can master 385 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 2: yourself enough to do things that you don't feel like 386 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 2: doing in the moment, especially in this world of endless 387 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 2: comfort and e and distraction and Twitter feeds and Instagram feeds, 388 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 2: you will be very successful. Do the hard thing. Be 389 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 2: willing to be uncomfortable, follow your conscience. When you know 390 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 2: you should be doing something, do it even though you 391 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 2: don't feel like it. If you can just do that 392 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 2: simple thing, doing what you don't feel like doing but 393 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: you know is right, you will be more successful than 394 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 2: ninety nine point nine percent of the rest of the world, 395 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 2: so that would be my advise. 396 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. He is Joel Berry. Check him 397 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: out at the Babylon b by his books. Thank you 398 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: so much for coming on 399 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 2: Joel, Thank you for having me appreciate it.